Review For End of 1st Semester
Final
World Geography
Europe’s Five
Peninsulas
Scandinavian- Located in the
northernmost part of Europe, includes
the countries of Norway, Sweden and
Finland
Jutland- Located in northern Europe,
includes and separates the countries
of Denmark and Germany
Iberian- Located in southeastern
Europe, includes the countries of
Portugal and Spain
Italian- Located in southern Europe,
includes the country of Italy
Balkan- The Balkan Peninsula is a large
piece of land in southeastern Europe.
It is divided into many countries,
including Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo,
Montenegro, Macedonia, Moldova,
Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece,
and the European part of Turkey
Europe’s 3
Major Rivers
Thames-Flows through southern England.
It is the longest river in England and the
second longest in the United Kingdom.
Best known for flowing through London
Danube- A river in Central Europe, the
continent’s second longest after the
Volga. Originates in the town of
Donaueschingen which is in the Black
Forest of Germany. The river passes
through or touches the borders of ten
countries: Romania, Hungary, Serbia,
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Ukraine, and Moldova.
Rhine- Flows eastern from the Swiss Alps
to the North Sea coast in the Netherlands
and is the twelfth longest river in Europe.
The Rhine and the Danube formed most
of the northern inland frontier of the
Roman Empire and, since those days, the
Rhine has been a vital and navigable
waterway carrying trade and goods deep
inland. It has also served as a defensive
feature and has been the basis for
regional and international borders.
Straits of Europe
Gibraltar-Spain and Morocco
Bosporus & Dardanelles-Turkey
A strait is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of
water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also
refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not navigable, for example
because it is too shallow, or because it contains an unnavigable reef or archipelago.
Buddhism
A religion and philosophy
encompassing a variety of
traditions, beliefs and practices
largely based on teachings
attributed to Siddhartha
Gautama, who is commonly
known as the Buddha (meaning
"the awakened one".
The Buddha lived and taught in
the eastern part of the Indian
subcontinent some time between
the 6th and 4th centuries BCE.
He is recognized by Buddhists as
an awakened or enlightened
teacher who shared his insights to
help alert beings end suffering
through eliminating ignorance
and eliminating craving, thus
attaining the highest happiness,
nirvāņa.
Eight-fold path: giving up selfish human desires
Christianity
A monotheistic and religion based on
the life and teachings of Jesus as
presented in the New Testament
writings. It also considers the Hebrew
Bible, which is known as the Old
Testament. Adherents (those who
practice the religion) of the Christian
faith are known as Christians.
The mainstream Christian belief is that
Jesus is the Son of God, fully divine
and fully human and the savior of
humanity. Because of this, Christians
commonly refer to Jesus as Christ or
Messiah. Jesus' ministry, sacrificial
death, and subsequent resurrection
are often referred to as the Gospel,
meaning "Good News". The Gospel is
news of God the Father's eternal
victory over evil, and the promise of
salvation and eternal life for all people,
through divine grace.
Three largest sects of Christianity is
Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox and
Protestantism.
Islam
A monotheistic and religion
expressed by the Qur'an, a text
considered by its adherents to be
the verbatim word of God (Arabic:
‫ هللا‬Allāh) and by the teachings and
examples of Muhammad,
considered by them to be the last
prophet of God. An adherent of
Islam is called a Muslim.
Muslims believe that God is one
and incomparable and the
purpose of existence is to love
and serve God. Most Muslims are
of two denominations, Sunni or
Shia.
5 Pillars of Faith- Testimony,
Prayer, Alms, Fasting and
Pilgrimage
Hinduism
Hinduism is formed of diverse
traditions and has no single founder. It
is the predominant spiritual following
of the Indian subcontinent, and one of
its indigenous faiths.
Hinduism, with about one billion
followers, is the world's third largest
religion, after Christianity and Islam.
Teaches its disciples that the principles
of life can be discovered through
meditation.
There is no holy book, but writings like
the Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Gita
provide guidance and inspiration.
Beliefs- Karma, reincarnation, sacred
Ganges river
Sikhism
A monotheistic religion founded
during the 15th century in the Punjab
region, by Guru Nanak. This system of
religious philosophy and expression
has been traditionally known as the
Gurmat (literally 'wisdom of the
Gurū'). Punjab, India is the only
region in the world with a majority
Sikh population.
Sikhi advocates the pursuit of
salvation through the practice of
meditation on the name and
message of God. The followers of
Sikhi are ordained to follow the
teachings of the ten Sikh gurus, or
enlightened leaders, as well as the
holy scripture entitled the Gurū
Granth Sāhib Ji.
Adherents of Sikhī are known as Sikhs
(students or disciples) and number
over 30 million across the world.
Sikh men do not
cut hair, which is
worn in turbans;
also have long
beards
Judaism
The religion, philosophy and way of life
of the Jewish people.
A monotheistic religion originating in
the Hebrew Bible (Torah). Judaism is
considered by religious Jews to be the
expression of the covenantal
relationship God established with the
Children of Israel.
Judaism claims a historical continuity
spanning more than 3,000 years. Of
the major world religions, Judaism is
considered one of the oldest
monotheistic religions.
Major Types of Government
•
Democracy- a form of government in which all eligible citizens have an equal say in the
decisions that affect their lives. Democracy allows eligible citizens to participate equally, either
directly or indirectly through elected representatives—in the proposal, development, and
creation of laws
•
Dictatorship- government is ruled by an individual: a dictator
•
Monarchy- Monarchy was the most common form of government into the 19th century, but it is
no longer prevalent. Where it exists, it now often takes the form of constitutional monarchy, in
which the monarch retains a unique legal and ceremonial role, but exercises limited or no
political power
•
Republic- form of government in which the country is considered a "public matter", not the
private concern or property of the rulers, and where offices of state are subsequently directly or
indirectly elected or appointed rather than inherited; In modern republics such as the United
States, France, Russia, and India, the executive is legitimized both by a constitution and by
popular suffrage (votes)
•
Theocracy- a form of government in which a deity is officially recognized as the civil Ruler and
official policy is governed by officials regarded as divinely guided; In a pure theocracy, the civil
leader is believed to have a direct personal connection with God. For example, a prophet like
Moses led the Israelites, and the prophet Muhammad ruled the early Muslims. Example: the
Pope
Essential Vocabulary
• Balkanization- used to describe the process of fragmentation or
division of a region or state into smaller regions or states that are
often hostile or non-cooperative with each other (new territories
after WW I)
• Capitalism- economic system that is based on private ownership of
capital goods and the means of production, and the creation of
goods and services for profit
• Communism- revolutionary socialist movement to create a
classless, moneyless and stateless social order structured upon
common ownership of the means of production
• Demographics- statistical characteristics of a population. Commonly
examined demographics include gender, age, ethnicity.
Demographics are very essential about the population of a region
and the culture of the people
Vocabulary Continued
• Diffusion- the spread of cultural items—such as ideas, styles, religions,
technologies, languages etc.—between individuals, whether within a
single culture or from one culture to another; examples of diffusion
include the spread of the war chariot and iron smelting in ancient times,
and the use of cars and Western business suits in the 20th century.
• Euro- currency used by the Institutions of the European Union and is the
official currency of the eurozone; The euro is the second largest reserve
currency as well as the second most traded currency in the world after the
United States dollar
• Euro zone- Countries part of the EU that have adopted the euro; an
economic and monetary union
• European Union- an economic and political union of 27 member states
which are located primarily in Europe. The EU operates through a system
of supranational independent institutions and intergovernmental
negotiated decisions by the member states
Vocabulary Continued
•
Genocide- the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic racial,
religious, or national group; Example- Holocaust
•
Globalization- process of international integration from the interchange of world views,
products, ideas, and other aspects of culture; Globalization can erode and universalize the
characteristics of a local group; Advances in transportation and telecommunications
infrastructure, including the rise of the Internet, are major factors in globalization, generating
further interdependence of economic and cultural activities.
•
Greenhouse effect- process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is absorbed by
atmospheric greenhouse gases, and is re-radiated in all directions (think about a
greenhouse/plants)
•
Imperialism- the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial
relationship, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination
and subordination." It is often considered in a negative light, as merely the exploitation of native
people in order to enrich a small handful; Imperialism always involves the massive export of
capital to foreign countries for the purpose of exploiting and dominating both their labor forces
and their markets. Imperialism, the highest stage of capitalism, represents the stage at which a
country's consumers cannot buy all the products that have been produced, and additional
markets must be sought after
Vocabulary Continued
• Maastricht Treaty- formally, the Treaty on European Union or
TEU) was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the
European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands; it created
the European Union and led to the creation of the single
European currency, the euro
• Nationalism- form of patriotism based upon the identification
of a group of individuals with a nation; extreme; National
flags, national anthems, and other symbols of national
identity are commonly considered highly important symbols
of the national community.
• Neutrality- where a polity such as a state favors or supports
none of the parties involved in a disagreement, conflict or war
• Patriotism- devotion to one's homeland
Vocabulary Continued
• Peninsulas- also called a byland; a piece of land
that is bordered by water on three sides but
connected to mainland (Ex- Florida, Italy)
• Polders and Dikes- A polder is a low-lying tract of
land enclosed by embankments (barriers) known
as dikes (land reclaimed)
• Socialism- an economic system characterized by
social ownership of the means of production and
co-operative management of the economy
Vocabulary Continued
• Strategic waterways- Bodies of water such as rivers, seas, for the purpose
of defense, trade, etc…Example- Rhine River, Gulf of Mexico/Mississippi
• Supercomputer- a computer at the frontline of current processing
capacity, particularly speed of calculation; Supercomputers are used for
highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems including quantum
physics, weather forecasting, climate research, oil and gas exploration,
molecular modeling (computing the structures and properties of chemical
compounds, and physical simulations (such as simulation of airplanes in
wind tunnels, simulation of the detonation of nuclear weapons, and
research into nuclear fusion).
• Sustainable development- (SD) refers to a mode of human development
in which resource use aims to meet human needs while preserving the
environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but
also for generations to come; Example- solar panels, towers,
hydroelectricity
Important Concepts
* Every country in Europe
has its own languageMost of the languages of
Europe belong to the IndoEuropean language family.
This family is divided into a
number of branches,
including Romance,
Germanic, Baltic, Slavic,
Albanian, Celtic and Greek.
* Northern European
Plain- Breadbasket of
Europe; agriculture
Europe- World War I
Europe- World War II
The New Russian Economy
• Collapse of Soviet Union
• Communism to incorporating free market
principles
• Oil/petroleum extraction/production
• World’s largest number of billionaires and
millionaires
Black Death (Bubonic Plague)
• Also known as the “Black Death”
• Circulating mainly among small rodents and their fleas
• Swollen lymph nodes (buboes) especially occur in the armpit
and groin in persons suffering from bubonic plague
• Generally believed to be the cause of the Black Death that
swept through Europe in the 14th century and killed an
estimated 25 million people, or 30–60% of the European
population. Because the plague killed so many of the working
population, wages rose and some historians have seen this as
a turning point in European economic development.
Relationship between Economic
Development and Standard of Living
• Less developed- extremely poor, not industrialized, low HDI
(Human Development Index) Ex- Afghanistan, Haiti
• Newly developed- Advanced economies, but still poor, yet
growing economy. Low HDI (Ex- Taiwan, South Korea,
Slovakia, Mexico, Brazil)
• More developed- High GDP, high HDI, industrialized (ExUS, Japan, Canada, western Europe)
• The more developed the country, the higher your standard
of living
Colombian Exchange
Benefits
• New crops, technologies,
ideas
• Growth in populations
• Introduction of the horseNative Americans
•
•
•
•
Disadvantages
Indigenous people died of
many new diseases
Invasive plants
Tensions between cultures
Slave trade
Demographic Relationships that Affect
Development
• GDP- Gross Domestic Product; the market value of all officially recognized
final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of
time. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's
standard of living
• Life expectancy- the expected (in the statistical sense) number of years of
life remaining at a given age
• Literacy rate- the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently, and think
critically about the written word. Visual literacy includes in addition the
ability to understand all forms of communication, be it body language,
pictures, maps, or video
• Infant morality- occurs when a child dies after birth. Childhood mortality
is the death of a child before their fifth birthday; Ninety-nine percent of
these infant and childhood deaths occur in developing nations. Infant
mortality takes away society’s potential physical, social, and human
capital; Generally the most common cause worldwide was dehydration
from diarrhea
Economic Spectrum
Globalization
Pros
•
A more accessible market for anyone all over
the world regardless of color, race, and social
class.
•
Steady supply of cash to developing
countries and even the well established
ones.
•
There is an increase in the production
capabilities of companies and because of this
they now have more freedom to customize
their services and products fitted to the
needs of the consumers.
•
Political merging will be frequent and a more
peaceful and orderly world order will be set.
•
Information and communication will be
strengthened not just between two countries
but from all countries around the globe
Cons
• Labor will be deemed as very
low since technologies will be
much more utilized.
• There is a threat in the
business outsourcing industry,
one of the highest grossing
industries today.
• The so called brain drain might
continue because skilled
people will be generally
recruited all over the world to
serve the ordering power
Population Pyramids
Triangular
Beehive
Rectangular
Populations
While all countries' population pyramids
differ, four general types have been
identified by the fertility and mortality
rates of a country.
Stable pyramid- A population pyramid
showing an unchanging pattern of fertility
and mortality.
Stationary pyramid- A population
pyramid typical of countries with low
fertility and low mortality, very similar to
a constrictive pyramid.
Expansive pyramid- A population
pyramid that is very wide at the base,
indicating high birth and death rates.
Constrictive pyramid- A population
pyramid that comes in at the bottom. The
population is generally older on average,
as the country has long life expectancy, a
low death rate, but also a low birth rate.
This pyramid is becoming more common,
especially when immigrants are factored
out, and is a typical pattern for a very
developed country, a high level of
education, easy access to and incentive to
use birth control, good health care, and
few negative environmental factors.
Chechnya: The Chechen Conflict
• 1st Chechnya War- Chechnya vs Russia
• 2nd Chechnya War- Chechnya vs Russia (again)
• Wanting autonomy and to become its own
Republic
– Ethnic tension
– Regional conflict
– Considered terrorists by the Russian government
– Religious differences (most Chechen rebels are
Islamists